BUFFALO, N.Y. — Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Matt Murray felt a tingle as he made sure to savor the moment during pregame warmups and the national anthem before making his first NHL start in nearly 21 months .

The 30-year-old, two-time Stanley Cup winner felt an even greater wave of emotion wash over him as the final buzzer sounded and Murray was mobbed by his teammates after his 25-save performance in a 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabers on Friday evening.

“A big relief,” said Murray, realizing the exhausting work he has put into rehab from bilateral hip replacement surgery.

“I think I found it a challenge. It was a long road, a big mountain to climb,” Murray said. “But I kept that moment in my mind on the days when it was difficult.”

Murray is best known for starting his career with Pittsburgh, where he won two Cups, including his rookie season in 2015-16 when he posted a 15-6 record in the playoffs.

Friday’s win was the 147th of Murray’s career and his first since a 33-save effort in Toronto’s 6-2 win over Florida on March 23, 2023. His last start came two days later in a loss to Carolina, during He also lost a week later and was used as a substitute in a loss to Detroit.

Otherwise, Murray spent much of the past calendar year wondering whether he would ever play an NHL game again while he returned to form with the Maple Leafs’ AHL affiliate. He finished 1-2 in three starts last season and had a 4-1-2 record, including a shutout, when Toronto called him up on Friday with Anthony Stolarz out four to six weeks following knee surgery.

Coach Craig Berube expressed his confidence in Murray before the game, saying, “There’s still fire burning in him.”

Berube then congratulated Murray on his coolness and composure.

“I didn’t notice too many emotions or anything like that. He was pretty busy,” said Berube. “It’s a big commitment that he wants to come back and play in the NHL. He’s been through a lot and I’m very happy for him.”

Murray made several key stops in the first two periods and was buoyed by Toronto’s offense, jumping to a 5-1 lead over the struggling Sabres, who fell to 0-9-3 in their last 12 games.

Murray also received a few assists from the referees, who disallowed two goals.

Alex Tuch’s goal, which would have made it 1-1 early in the first period, was disallowed when a linesman sent Buffalo’s Jason Zucker high sticking it into the zone. Zucker was given a double minor fine for drawing blood.

Then Owen Power had a goal disallowed, which would have cut the lead to 5-4 with 3:26 left. However, Toronto successfully challenged Buffalo’s Sam Lafferty for goaltending interference. Replays showed Lafferty’s skate hitting Murray’s stick just before Power scored with a shot from the right spot.

“I didn’t have a chance,” Murray said of the second disallowed goal. “I was definitely hoping they would make the right decision. I think they did.”

Maple Leafs players praised Murray for his performance and resilience, knowing what the goalie has been through.

“It’s mentally unbelievable to last so long every single day,” said striker Max Domi. “These are things that you as media representatives and the fans don’t see, but we as players see that. And I mean, it’s inspiring for us. We all look up to him and are really happy for him.”